Leg guard assembly

ABSTRACT

A leg guard assembly comprises an elongated pad extending along the outside of the leg guard assembly, a shin guard sleeve positioned on the front of the leg guard assembly and connected to the elongated pad, an inner ankle pad positioned opposite the elongated pad on the inside of the leg guard assembly, and an elastic positioned at the lowermost portion of the leg guard assembly, the elastic forming a loop that is adapted to secure a foot between the sole and the instep.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This Application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/588,984, filed on Jan. 20, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of athletic accessories. More specifically, this invention involves a leg guard assembly or leg protection apparatus having an elongated outer pad, an inner ankle pad and ergonomically shaped elastic.

BACKGROUND

The use of shin guards in soccer and other sports is well known. Shin guards have been used to protect the front surface of a user's lower leg since at least the late 19^(th) Century and probably earlier.

A traditional shin guard is a single piece of hard plastic that is curved to fit comfortably over a user's shin bone. The traditional shin guard is worn underneath a long sock, where the sock secures the shin guard in place.

Variations and modifications of the traditional shin guard include attaching a stirrup to the shin guard to prevent the shin guard from moving up the shin during use, Stirrups of this type comprise a single piece of elastic positioned close to the heel of the foot, where the stirrup connects to the left and right side of the shin guard.

SUMMARY

A leg guard assembly is provided to provide improved protection and maneuverability to a user, preferably a soccer player. The leg guard assembly is primarily constructed of an elastic meth fabric and fits around the lower leg of a user. At its lowermost portion, the leg guard assembly includes an elastic that secures the assembly to the user's foot.

The leg guard assembly further includes an outer leg/ankle pad and an inner ankle pad. The outer leg/ankle pad includes a lower bulbous section, a narrow middle section, and a wider top section. The three section of the outer leg/ankle pad are adapted to provide maximum protection to the outer leg while maintaining optimal maneuverability. The inner ankle pad provides protection for the vulnerable inner ankle bone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a right side view of a leg guard assembly, for a right leg, incorporating the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a left side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is shown a preferred embodiment of a leg guard assembly 100 of the present invention. The leg guard assembly 100 comprises a sleeve that fits over a user's foot and calf similar to a sock, The leg guard assembly 100 includes a shin guard sleeve 110, two protective pads 114, 116, an elastic 118, and connecting mesh 120. It is preferable for the two protective pads 114, 116 to be made of Poron® XRD foam covered in Lycra®. Depending on level of protection required, other materials such as moldable fiberglass, silicone gel, composite materials (carbon fiber and/or Kevlar), EVA foam, or any other combination of the above mentioned materials may be used for the relevant protective pads 114, 116.

The shin guard sleeve 110 is a pocket formed by two layers of fabric. The pocket is open at its top 112 allowing a shin guard to be inserted. The shin guard sleeve 110 is positioned on the front of the leg guard assembly 110 and is tapered to facilitate custom positioning by a user. Preferably, at the top of the shin guard sleeve 112, around the cuff 102 of the leg guard assembly, is a thin continuous band 122 of silicone that decreases slippage of the leg guard assembly 100 down a user's calf.

Adjacent to the shin guard sleeve 110, on the side of the leg guard assembly 100 corresponding to the outside of a user's foot, is an outer ankle/leg pad 114. As illustrated in the attached drawings of a leg guard assembly 100 for a right foot, the outer ankle/leg pad 114 is positioned to the right of the shin guard sleeve 110. The outer ankle/leg pad 114 extends from near the cuff of the leg guard assembly 102, not far from a user's knee, down to the user's foot. Accordingly, the outer ankle/leg pad 114 covers the protruding bone on the outside of the user's ankle (lower fibula) and the length of the outside of the user's lower leg. The outer ankle/leg pad is wide and bulbous at its lowermost portion 124, narrowest at the user's high ankle section 126, and gradually widens as it progresses to a wider section 128 up towards the knee. The wider and bulbous sections 124, 128 of the pad provide greater protection to more vulnerable areas while the narrow section 126 at the high ankle maintains maximum mobility for the user's ankle. In particular, the outer ankle/leg pad 114 protects a user's leg during a slide tackle - a technique in soccer which involves diving or sliding foot first to make contact with the ball. Slide tackles often expose the outside of the lower leg to scrapes and abrasions from rough field or artificial turf.

Opposite the outer ankle/leg pad 114 and positioned on the leg guard assembly corresponding to the inside of a user's lower leg is the inner ankle pad 116. The inner ankle pad 116 is positioned adjacent to the elastic 118 and over the bone on the inside of the user's ankle (lower tibia), Above the inner ankle pad is a section of mesh 120 that extends up to the cuff of the leg guard assembly 102.

An optional pad for the Achilles tendon above the heel may also be incorporated for players who are recovering from an Achilles injury. The pad protecting the Achilles should be made from a flexible foam or gel-like material or from flexible interlocking stiff pads when additional protection is required.

At the lowermost portion of the leg guard assembly is the elastic 118. The elastic 118 comprises a single strip of elastic that is adapted to conform to the shape of a user's foot. In particular, the elastic is positioned at the front of the leg guard assembly forward of the shin guard sleeve 110. Thus, the elastic is positioned within the arch on the sole of the user's foot where it is secured in place. Additionally, the elastic is connected at its ends 130 in an angled manner creating a conic shape. The conic shape enhances the leg guard assembly's fit over the soles of the foot and the instep of the foot. By wrapping around the sole and the instep to form a loop, the elastic 118 provides an improved securement to the user's foot.

The remainder of the leg guard assembly 100 is constructed of a combination of elastic nylon/spandex fabric and elastic mesh fabric that stretches to securely fit the user's foot, ankle and lower leg. The mesh fabric provides breathability to improve temperature control and comfort

It is preferable for the outer ankle/leg pad 114 and the inner ankle pad 116 to be sewn into the leg guard assembly 100 by an overlock stitch and then a straight stitch. The combination of the overlock stitch and the straight stitch locks the pads 114, 116 in a fixed position.

The accompanying drawings only illustrate several embodiments of a leg guard assembly and its respective constituent parts, however, other types and styles are possible, and the drawings are not intended to be limiting in that regard. Thus, although the description above and accompanying drawings contain much specificity, the details provided should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but merely as providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. The drawings and the description are not to be taken as restrictive on the scope of the embodiments and are understood as broad and general teachings in accordance with the present invention. While the present embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for present illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that modifications and variations to such embodiments, including but not limited to the substitutions of equivalent features, materials, or parts, and the reversal of various features thereof, may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A leg guard assembly comprising: an elongated pad extending along the outside of the leg guard assembly; a shin guard sleeve positioned on the front of the leg guard assembly and connected to the elongated pad; an inner ankle pad positioned opposite the elongated pad on the inside of the leg guard assembly; an elastic positioned at the lowermost portion of the leg guard assembly, the elastic forming a loop that is adapted to secure a foot between the sole and the instep. 